Array-based replication projects for Oracle, or any DBMS, requires orchestration by senior level management (i.e. CTO or IT director). Starting with the administrator roles, executives must get the normally stove-piped and isolated database administrators, server admin and storage admin working together and communicating. As one example, these roles all have performance-related activities that can be made more productive through better communications. The DBA must optimize disk I/O or properly setup automatic storage management (ASM) groups, properly size the redo logs and control the frequency of log switches to minimize systems waits. The server admin must provide path availability for optimal performance and storage administrators must ensure that links between sites can provide adequate performance for workloads that are being replicated.

Beyond these critical roles, application owners need to provide business input on RPO and RTO and assist in communicating what other applications are being replicated to determine how and if supporting infrastructure and processes can be leveraged. Furthermore, a business case must be made to determine if remote sites are staffed, which will decrease RTO but represents an added expense for the organization that must be justified, funded and maintained.

Action Item: Organizations must assign senior level management with explicit responsibilities for coordinating the efforts of key technical and business stakeholders in Oracle array-based replication projects. Deploying replication solutions that are not optimized for performance and business resilience, with input from key stakeholders, can create the illusion of protection until disaster strikes and it becomes too late.